Clarksville Downtown Market best in class for Farmers Market Celebration

AFT Releases Final Results of Summer Long Effort

Clarksville, TN – This week marked the end of American Farmland Trust’s summer-long Farmers Market Celebration – an annual effort to rally support for local farms and family farmers by calling on shoppers to identify the best of America’s farmers markets and Clarksville Downtown Farmers Market was rated number one in Tennessee.

“It is so exciting to see our market recognized as #1 in Tennessee across the board,” says Robert Rayburn, Clarksville Downtown Market Manager. “It is with the support of our vendors, our Clarksville Parks and Recreation staff, and dedicated members of the community that we are able to celebrate this honor.”

This year’s Celebration encouraged market customers, family farmers, community members – anyone who believed they had the best farmers market in the country – to endorse their market in four unique areas: Focus on Farmers, Healthy Food for All, Pillar of the Community, and Champion for the Environment.

Clarksville Downtown Market was ranked 1st statewide, national rankings are:

1. People’s Choice: 27
2. Focus on Farmers: 27
3. Healthy Food for All: 27
4. Pillar of the Community: 27
5. Champion for the Environment: 26

“Farmers markets are critical for new and beginning farmers,” says Susan Sink, American Farmland Trust’s Vice President of Development and External Relations. “Next generation farmers selling directly to consumers at farmers markets have nearly a 10 percent greater chance of staying in business than those selling goods through traditional retail. And when family farmers thrive – our community, economy and families thrive.”

“While farmers markets have been growing in popularity, keeping family farmers on farmland remains a nationwide challenge,” Sink says. “Many family farmers struggle to stay financially afloat and face daily pressure from development to sell their land. Farmers markets provide a wonderful opportunity for family farmers to sell directly to consumers and keep their farmland in farming.”

The United States has been losing nearly 1 acre of fertile farmland every minute to development. Farms closest to America’s cities—often the providers of the delicious local food found at farmers markets—are directly in the path of that destruction. American Farmland Trust has helped slow this trend over the last 35 years by permanently protecting over five million acres of fertile farmland and contributing to conservation improvements on millions more.

To visit the full list of top ranked markets nationwide, visit markets.farmland.org today.

About the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department

The mission of the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department is to provide a variety of positive recreational experiences to enhance life values for individuals, families, and our diverse culture.

To learn more, visit www.cityofclarksville.com, like us on Facebook, or call 931.645.7476.